Twister frame spindle support



Oct. 30, 1951 Filed June 27, 1950 A. E. WINSLOW TWISTER FRAME SPINDLE SUPPORT ,5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a aweeaioa J WEWizasiozq M37wM$MM Oct. 30, 1951 2,573,081

A. E. wmsLow TWISTER FRAME SPINDLE SUPPORT Filed vJune 2'7, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1951 A. E. WINSLOW 2,573,081

TWISTER FRAME SPINDLE SUPPORT Filed June 27, 1950 5 Shets-S heet s Patented Oct. 30, 1951 TWISTER FRAME SPINDLE SUPPORT Albert E. Winslcw,,Greenville, S. 0., assignor to V J. P, Stevens & Co. Inc., Greenville, S. 0., a corporation of, Delaware Application -J line 27, 1950, Serial No. 170,493

with whorls, and a support for each spindle in 7 which the spindle is journaled. A. driving belt extends alongside the whorls and the support is mounted on the frame so as either to position the whorl into driving engagement with the belt, or to be positioned with the whorl away from the belt for doffing.

In the standard constructions the lubricant employed in connection with the spindle and. its support frequently gets on to the surface of the whorl and also on to the driving belt and necessitates frequent cleaning. Moreover, it is the usual custom of the operative to grasp the whorl when removing the spool from the spindle and thus the lubricant gets up on the operatives hands. The spool is also removed with difficulty and not infrequently a hammer, or other tool, is employed,

which is apt to injure the spindle.

The present invention has for its object to obe viate this and other difficulties due to such constructions and to provide a novel support construction requiring no lubricant to effect its movement between running and doffing positions.

The object of the invention is further to provide a hinge construction for the spindle connecting it above the belt to the frame which requires no lubrication.

The object of the invention is further to provide upper and lower spaced alined bearings for the spindle and whorl in the support and further to provide a resilient element in connection with at least one of these bearings, thus t enable the spindle and its load to rotate on its gravity axis.

The object of the invention is further to provide for the locking of the spindle against rotation in the support when in dofilng position so that the spool may readily be doffed therefrom :without holding the whorl. I

The object of the invention is further to provide novel means for pressing the support toward the driving belt so as to maintain a drivingfriction between the whorl and belt.

The object of the invention is further to provide asimple and efiective means for locking the sup-v port in dofling position.

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

Since the general construction and operation of a twister frame of the type with -which this in- '7 Claims. (01.57-89) vention is concerned is well known and familiar, it is only necessary to illustrate a portion of such a twister frame sufficient to a disclosure'of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a twister frame with two supports for the spoolcarrying spindles in position and spools therefor indicated in dotted lines and embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view,largely in transverse vertical section, of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan and in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail in. plan and in transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

A twister frame of this type comprises a longitudinal main frame here shown as comprising an upper girder I and a lower base 2. The base is, of course, suitably supported from the floor. Along each side of the frame are mounted a row of spoolcarrying spindles, of which only two are illustrated, at one side of the frame. At intervals the frame is provided with suitable cross members3 and suitable separator plates 4 are mounted on the frame between adjacent spindles to prevent flying ends or runs of the yarn on one spool engaging those of the next spool.

Each spindle 5 has secured thereto a whorl 6 and these whorls are driven by an endless belt 7 alongside the whorls. The belt is shown as guided by idler roll 8 mounted on bearings supported from a bracket 9 mounted on the base 2.

The support for each spindle and the features with which this invention is concerned are the same for each spindle so that it is only necessary to describe in detail one of these units. In the preferred form of the invention the support comprises a vertical arm member l6, an horizontal base member I 1 extending forward from the lower end of the vertical member I 0, a strut member l2 extending downward from the forward end of the upper base member I I, and an horizontal lower base member [3 extending rearward from the lower end of the strut member I2. The terms vertical and horizontal herein and in the claims employed are to be construed as generally descriptive and not as restricted to an exact geometrical relation to the horizon because, as is well known, the spindles of some types of twisters are somewhat inclined to the true vertical. This support is preferably all in one piece and suitably curved as illustrated and is so shaped that-thewhorl stands between the upper and. lower base members in position to move with the support into and out of engagement with the driving belt.

An important feature of the invention resides in mounting the pivotal connection between the support and the frame at the upper end of the vertical arm where it is entirely out of way so that if lubricated it will not effect the whorl or the belt. In the preferredform of the invention this pivotal connection requires no lubrication and is constituted as a thin resilient plate l4 preferably of metal. This plate is shown as of rectangular construction and secured to the girder l and to the top of the support as by the bolts l5 and clamping plates l6.- This hinge connection is mounted well above the belt run and the axis on which it bends to permit movement of the support extends parallel to the belt run.

With the support thus pivoted at the upper end of its vertical arm the weight of the support, together with that of the spindle and its load, is suflicient to press the whorl against the belt.

This hinge connection also enables the support readily to be swung away from the belt to bring the spindle in position for dofiing.

Bearing members for the spindle are mounted in both the upper base member II and the lower base member l3 of the support and are preferably as shown of the anti-friction ball bearing type with the inner raceway of each bearing secured to the spindle and the outer raceway mounted in the support. Not only does the invention thus provide two spaced vertically alined bearings for the spindle and whorl in the support but as a further feature the invention in its. preferred form provides a means to enable the spindle to rotate on its gravity axis. It is well known that the vertical center of gravity of a spindle and its load frequently does not coincide with the vertical geometrical axis and when rotation is at high speed the axis of rotation shifts slightly from the geometric axis. To provide for this the'invention provides for the mounting of either or both of the bearings for the spindle with a resilient annulus l1, preferably of rubber, between the support and the bearing, that is, in this case surrounding the outer raceway.

The invention also provides for maintaining the steady pressure of the whorl against the driving belt so that chattering shall not take place. For this purpose a latch arm l8 is pivotally mounted at l9 on a bracket 2B supported from the bracket 9. A compression spring 2| in the bracket 20 engages a tail 22 of the latch arm and thus acts to press the latch arm towardthe spindle support. The latch arm extends past the support being provided with a handle portion 23 and cooperating curved surfaces are formed, 24 on the latch arm and 25 on the support. The spring 2| therefore acts to cause the latch arm to press the support toward the driving belt and thus assist in holding the whorl steadily against the belt.

The latch arm I8 is also provided with a shoul der 26 and the support with a shoulder 2.1 so positioned that when the support is swung outward to dofiing position the shoulder 26 catches behind the shoulder 21 and thus holds the support with the whorl away from the belt. and the spindle in position for doffing.

The invention also provides for the ready and easy doffing of the spool from the support without requiring the operator to grasp the whorl and hold the spindle against rotation. For this purpose the invention provides cooperating locking elements, one secured to the spindle and the other movably mounted-on-the support, so that when the support is in dotfing position these elements may be caused to interlock and thus hold the spindle against rotation and enabling the spool to be twisted oft from the spindle. In the preferred construction illustrated the spindle is provided with an annulus or disk 28 secured thereto and having at its edges one or more notches 29. A slide, shown as a plate 30, is mounted on the upperbase member and provided with a projection 31 so that when slid forward toward the spindle this projection may engage with one of the notches 29. and thus lock the spindle against rotation. As a simple means for guiding the slide screws 32 are provided passing through slots in the-slide into the base member. If desired, light springs, shown at 32a mounted in the base memher and abutting the slide and acting to keep the slide normally retracted, may also be provided. Preferably also a brake device is provided for stopping the rotation of the spindle when in dofiing position and is shown as a plunger 33 mounted beneath the slide in the upper base member normally projected away from the spindle by the spring 34. When therefore the support has been swung to dofiing position and locked therein by the latch arm t8 the operator presses the brake 33 to stop rotation of the spindle and when this rotation is stopped moves the slide 39 toward the spindle until its projection 3| engagesone of the notches 29, thus locking the spindle against rotation. The operator may then conveniently grasp the strut [2 of the support and twist the spool from off the spindle.

Having. thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a twister of that type having a frame, spool-carrying spindles with whorls, a support for each spindle in which the spindle is journaled, a driving'belt extending alongside the whorls, and in which the support at its upper end is hinged on the frame and moved by gravity to position the whorl into driving engagement with the belt and is movable to position the support with the whorl away from the belt for cloning, the provision of parallel upper and lower spaced base members on the support and vertically alined bearing members in said base members for the spindle and whorl with the whorl located between the base members.

2. In a twister as defined in claim 1, together with a latch arm pivoted to the frame extending past the support, means acting yieldingly to press the latch arm against the support, opposed surfaces, convex on the support and concave on the latch arm, acting, as the result of the pressure of the latch arm against the support. to hold the whorl against the belt, and cooperating shoulders on the support and the latch arm interengaging when the support is swung outward to dofiing position to hold the support with the whorl away from the belt.

3. In a twister as defined in claim 1, together with a locking element mounted on the support for movement toward and from the spindle, and a cooperating lockingelement secured to the spindle, the said elements acting when the former is moved into engagement with the latter to lock the spindle against rotation.

4. In a twister as defined in claim 3, in which the former locking element is a slide having a projection-at its end and the latter locking element is an annulus having notches to cooperate with the projection.

5. Ina twister of that type having a frame,

spool-carrying spindles with whorls, a support for each spindle in which the spindle is journaled, and a driving belt extending alongside the whorls and against which the whorls are held, the provision of a resilient plate secured to the upper end of the support and to the frame above the belt run and parallel thereto forming a hinge requires no lubrication and permitting the support and its load to press the whorl against the belt and the support to be swung away from the belt for dofing the spool from the spindle.

6. In a twister as defined in claim 5, in which the support comprises a vertical arm member to the upper end of which the resilient, plate is secured, an horizontal upper base member extending forward from the lower end of the vertical member, a strut member extending downward from the forward end of said upper base member, an horizontal lower base member extending rearward from the lower end of the strut member, and vertically alined hearings in said base members for the spindle and whorl with the whorl located between the base members.

7. In a twister as defined in claim 6, in which at least one of said bearings is an antifriction 25 6 bearing comprising a pair of concentric raceways with interposed antifriction elements, with the inner raceway secured to the spindle and the outer raceway mounted in a concentric resilient annulus mounted in the base member acting to permit the spindle and its load to rotate on its gravity axis.

ALBERT E. WINSLOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

